A team of marine biologists, zoologists, and cetologists from the Université Paris-Saclay, Université d'Antananarivo and Ambodiforaha Sainte Marie has discovered an incredible parallel between human babies, and baby humpback whales.
In the study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, the scientists attached cameras with multi-sensory tags to eight humpback whale calves off the coast of Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar, and then analyzed the sounds they made during various contexts, such as feeding or play.
Prior research shows that humpback whales use sounds for a wide variety of purposes, including communication, attracting a mate, and sensory perception. The noises they make are often referred to as ‘whale song’ due to the repetitive nature of the sounds.
The cameras attached to the baby whales were able to record both video and audio, then analyzed the 33 hours of material.
They began by separating out the sounds made by the calves, then studying the noises made during different behaviors, such as nursing, playing, and simply doing nothing. This allowed them to notice patterns in the noises the baby whales made when they were communicating with their mothers, or when they were just expressing themselves.
The results showed that baby whales tend to get more vocal just before nursing in the morning – and this was the noisiest they got. The results suggest that, similar to human babies, baby humpback whales appear to "beg" their mothers for food.
Suckling sessions were mainly associated with two sets of low-frequency calls corresponding to previously described burping, barking and snorting sounds. Surface play sessions featured mid-frequency calls with whoop-like sounds and other call types.
“Suckling sessions were mainly associated with two sets of low-frequency calls corresponding to previously described burping, barking and snorting sounds, “the study says, “Surface play sessions featured mid-frequency calls with whoop-like sounds and other call types.
“These results address the significance of vocal signalling in mother–calf communication and the calf’s development, including the first identification of potential begging calls.”
The paper added, “This study offers new insights into baleen whale behaviour, underscores the importance of social calls in mother–calf interactions and enhances our understanding of communication systems in aquatic mammalian mother–young pairs.”
A recent study showed that trail cameras for conservation purposes are missing in the areas that need them the most, however, cameras are being increasingly used for conservation purposes. Earlier this summer, scientists attached cameras to sea lions to learn more about their behaviors and habitat, while a live webcam in California, accessible to the public, is being used to monitor the elusive exploits of Western rattle snakes.
Interested in conservation? Why not take a look at our guides to the best trail cameras, the best camera drones, and the best cameras for wildlife photography.
